For You
by Omega135
Summary: A collection one-shots about Annabeth and Percy's relationship. Enjoy! Percabeth, Rated T just because, takes place after TLO
1. Never Annoy Your Armed Girlfriend

A/N So I've been updating on and off, and adding chapters in not so much of a chronological manner...sorry about that! I'll try to be a little better about that...anyway, read and enjoy!

Any reviews are appreciated :)

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There is nothing she hates worse than seeing the confused, exasperated expression that crosses his face when she tells him to get out.

"For god's sake, Annabeth, you can't just tell me to leave without giving me a _reason_!" he snaps, and she shrugs.

"Apparently, I can. I don't want to talk to you. Get out", she says flatly, trying to stifle the misery she feels welling up inside. He studies her for a second, nods to himself, and perches himself on her couch.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong", he insists, and flips on her television, switching to Animal Planet. He _knows_ that she hates that channel. It has bugs and spiders and…spiders.

"I could call the police on you", she informs him, feeling annoyance swell up and temporarily extinguish her grim mood.

"You could", he agrees, unconcerned. The channel plays on, as (thankfully) a baby tiger comes on the screen.

"Why won't you leave?" she yells finally, stalking into her kitchen.

"Because you're upset", he says casually, following her. She picks up a knife and begins chopping vegetables for her salad tonight.

"I told you, I'm fine, I just don't want to be around you", she informs him, sending a silent plea to Zeus that he'll just leave her alone and let her do what she knows she has to.

He pushes her back from the counter, standing in between her and the chopping board.

"Don't you know better than to intimidate a girl with a knife?" she asks crossly, and he shrugs.

"So stab me then. It might hurt less than if you try to send me away again", he says, his honesty cutting her to the quick. She feels tears spring to her eyes before she can stop them.

"Annabeth, what's wrong?" he asks, gently taking the knife from her and pulling her into his arms. She stiffens, and then relaxes. She can't help it. His presence is comforting, and constant, like the ocean.

"I keep holding you back. You miss hanging out with your friends because you're always here visiting me, and you missed going on that ski trip with them because of my stupid mathletes competition, and you're always going out of your way for me and I do _nothing_. You deserve better." Percy studies her for a minute, and then sighs.

"So you're telling me you want to break up?" he asks, and she feels something inside of her snap as she starts to cry in earnest.

"No", she manages to get out before turning away, in a useless attempt at hiding her weakness.

"Good", he says softly and fiercely, pulling her close and stroking her hair. "Because I'd never let you go. Especially when you're being so silly. Annabeth, you've taken a knife for me. You've constantly been there, sacrificing things, giving everything you have, fighting beside me. You're my best friend, my partner, you're everything to me. Don't you _ever_ say you don't deserve me. I love you. Okay?" he asks, gently pulling her chin towards him. She looks into his face and buries her face in his shoulder.

"I love you" she murmurs, her face muffled in his shirt. It isn't perfect, because her make-up is running and she's crying which she _hates_ and his shirt is getting stained, but it's nice. She knows then that it was Aphrodite, and not Zeus, who had answered the prayer that she hadn't put into words.


	2. Perfume Bottles Don't Make Good Swords

"Why should I have to be the one to tell her?"

"Quit being a wimp, you're the one she's least likely to kill."

"Besides, you were the one who-"

"All right!" hissed Percy furiously, and walked away from the cowering group of Apollo guys. Menaces with arrows, maybe, but they couldn't face one girl.

One soon-to-be furious girl.

With a knife.

And a tendency to kill before asking questions.

He crept slowly up to the bench she was reading on and sat down tentatively.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain", Annabeth said, smiling brightly. "I just finished the blueprints for the throne room, which I've been working _forever_ on to get perfect, and I-"

"HeyAnnabethwemayormaynothave accidentallyangeredagianttar antulathat'snowtryngtoburndownyourcabin ", Percy interrupted her. Annabeth frowned, slowly closing her book.

"I _know_ I just heard you wrong, Seaweed Brain", she began, her voice becoming icier than the River Styx. "Because I _thought_ you just said that a spider was trying to burn down my cabin. But that's not possible, _is it?_" Her stare would have terrified away a Chimera.

"Erm…well….yes?" Percy asked. Annabeth felt her face pale and then turn redder.

"Well _then_ I'd have to ask why my boyfriend, the son of _Poseidon_, hasn't made it go away by now", she said slowly.

"Because…er…becausethecharmthattheAphrod itegirlsputonme…" his voice trailed off, and Annabeth closed her eyes.

"And what, exactly", she began in a terrifyingly calm voice, "kind of charm did they Aphrodite girls put on you?" He took a deep breath.

"Well, see, one of them was flirting with me and…" He winced, noticing her face turn purple. "And I turned her down and she got mad and cursed my sword to turn into a bottle of perfume every time I use it and Chiron said it'll take a few days to wear off and I can't get a new one in time, and all the Apollo campers laughed and their weapons got charmed too, and the Ares cabin won't help, and nobody else is around", he finished in a rush. He noticed her lips tighten, and winced again, wondering how painful his death would be.

She surprised him.

"Fine", she said in a steely tone. She walked towards her cabin, and he followed. Weapon or no, he wouldn't let her get hurt. He'd use his hands if necessary.

Which would probably be a bad idea.

Seeing as he was fairly sure its skin was venomous and all.

He watched her closely as she easily drove the creature into the woods. It was fairly innocuous compared to some of the monsters they had fought, but as she walked back with a face paler than usual, he saw that it had taken its toll on her. He felt horrible-he should have been more careful. He _knew_ how she felt around spiders.

"Annabeth-" he began, reaching his arm out to her, but she shrugged him off.

"Don't worry about it, Seaweed Brain", she muttered, and walked back to the bench and continued reading. He followed her.

"I'm really sorry", he said, and she shrugged, not even gracing him with a response.

"I know that you really hate spiders, and-"

"What did you tell those Aphrodite campers?" Annabeth asked, and he glanced up, startled.

"What?"

"What did you _tell_ them, Seaweed Brain?" He felt a grin tug at his face. Was she _jealous_? She scowled at him.

"Forget it. I shouldn't have asked. Just-" He cut her off by kissing her.

"I told them I had the smartest, bravest, most beautiful girlfriend in the world, and so no offense, but they couldn't measure up." She smiled a little.

"More beautiful than the Aphrodite campers?" He couldn't help grinning as he tugged on her braid and pulled her into his arms.

"Much more."


	3. Hydras Don't Campare To Calculus

"How are you doing this?" Percy finally snapped, and Annabeth allowed a small smile to slip through. She had wondered how long his control would last. Normally it only lasted about ten minutes. She checked her watch.

"Damn. Twelve minutes. I owe Will five bucks", she said, frowning, and Percy turned annoyed green eyes towards her.

"You made a _bet_ about how long I'd last?" he asked, and she shrugged, unashamed.

"You were better than I gave you credit for. That's the last time I underestimate you. You just cost me five dollars", she said sulkily.

"You've seen me battle Hydras, talking statues, and even the lord of freaking _time_, and you didn't trust me with this?" he asked incredulously.

"Face it, Percy, you're decent with a sword and somewhat fast, but when it comes to this…" Percy raised his eyebrows.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it _right_ there. _Decent_ with a sword? _Somewhat _fast?" She smiled at him, knowing she was egging him on and enjoying it immensely. After all, he had cost her five perfectly good dollars.

"You're not bad, just somewhat unrefined." Percy's face turned red at that.

"Unrefined? Well, you're-"

"Is that a _challenge_, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked with a smirk. "So eager to get your butt kicked so soon after that Capture the Flag disas-"

"You _swore_ you'd never speak of that!" Percy cut her off with his protest, and she scowled at him. She _hated_ being interrupted. Never mind that she did it to the other campers constantly.

"Yeah, but I didn't swear on the Styx, now did I?" she asked smugly, and his face turned a strange shade of purple.

It was probably unhealthy.

But she _liked_ to win, and he had made her lose.

"Annabeth, I swear to gods, you're so-"

"Finish that sentence", she dared him, and he stopped dead.

"Will you _pleeease_ help me, oh Wise one?" he asked with a resigned sigh. She smiled triumphantly.

"Well, I don't know, you _did_ make me lose-" she began before Percy cut her off with a kiss that made her head spin and her train of thoughts derail completely.

"You can tell Will that I only lasted….how long did you bet him?"

"Ten minutes", she informed him cheerfully, and he made a face at her.

"C'mon, Wise Girl, you couldn't give me at least fifteen?"

"You made a powerful witch turn you into a guinea pig because you annoyed her", she pointed out.

"Hey! That was _not_ my fault! She would have done it in any case!"

"And you pissed off that Cyclopes-"

"They were going to kill Grover!"

"And-" Her retort was cut off by another dizzying kiss.

"Will you please, _please_ help me, because you're my smart, beautiful, amazing girlfriend?" he wheedled, and she smiled and relented.

"You know, Seaweed Brain, Calculus really isn't _that_ hard", she commented, picking up a pencil and attacking the first problem.


	4. Girls With Burning Hair Are Mean

He let out a curse in ancient Greek. What _was_ it with these stupid _empousi_? Was it really too much to ask that he be able to go on a walk with his girlfriend without being attacked by girls whose heads were on fire?

"Stupid demon", he heard Annabeth mutter as she deftly avoided the claws of an _empousa_ while still covering his back. They were outnumbered 6 to 2, but taking down the demons shouldn't have been this difficult-they weren't very powerful.

If it weren't for one _tiny_ detail.

Being handcuffed to Annabeth made fighting a bit harder.

"This is all your fault, you know", Annabeth snapped at him, jerking to the side and taking him with her.

"_My_ fault? Well if you hadn't said-"

"Duck!" Annabeth cried, and they went down. He slashed at one of the _empousa _as they came back up, managing to slash his celestial bronze weapon against the demon's waist. She immediately disintegrated into ashes.

"Nice hit, Seaweed Brain", Annabeth commented.

"Oh, so now you're actually willing to say something _nice_?" he muttered, still bitter.

"If you hadn't laughed when the stupid nymphs tried to drown me-"

"I _told_ you not to mess with angry water spirits-"

"And then acted like a condescending _brat-_"

"There's a good reason people avoid them-"

"I wouldn't have had to knock your ego down a peg!"

"You mean you wouldn't have had to announce to the _entire camp_ that-"

"How was _I _supposed to know the loudspeaker was on?" Annabeth complained, dodging a claw and stabbing. The _empousa_ that was the closest to her got a stomach full of bronze and immediately turned to ash.

"Lucky shot", Percy muttered, and Annabeth spun around the best she could in the chains. The glare she shot him made the demons closest to him back away.

"You know, you are so _full of it_, but I could take you down anytime, anyplace-"

"Annabeth, _look out!"_ he cried, yanking her into him as one of the demons lunged forward. Caught off guard, she stumbled, allowing the _empousa_ to swipe her face. She cried out, nearly crumpling, and Percy cursed out loud, grabbing her with one hand and slicing riptide across the demon's neck with the other. Three down. But if Annabeth couldn't even stand, they were screwed.

"I'm fine, Seaweed Brain. Stop staring at me like I'm a freaking hellhound", Annabeth glowered, spinning back around and lunging at the nearest monster. Percy was caught off balance, and barely got Riptide up in time to stop the demon nearest him from impaling him. Instead, the _empousa_ found herself speared by Riptide, and turned to dust at the same time that Annabeth's demon let out a horrid screech and crumbled to nothing.

One left to go. But Annabeth was turning paler and paler. He admitted to himself that he didn't know as much about _empousi_ as he should, but he was pretty sure that it wasn't just a few scratches that were draining Annabeth's strength.

"If we spin around quick enough to catch her off guard, do you think you could throw your knife?" Percy asked Annabeth quietly, and she nodded.

"Okay. One…two…three!" He spun around, felt Annabeth jerk back her arm and throw her knife as hard as she could. The unlucky _empousa_ didn't stand a chance, and disintegrated at the same time that Annabeth let out an agonized cry and went down. He cursed viscously as he was yanked down with her, grabbing her and easing her fall.

_Blackjack! Need you! NOW!_ He shouted in his mind.

_Got it, boss man. _

Back at the camp, Percy refused to leave Annabeth's side as Chiron fed her nector. He clutched her limp hand tightly.

"_Empousi_, huh?" Chiron mused out loud as he finished cleaning out the deep scratches. Annoying creatures, those. Their poison isn't as deadly as some, but it still could have finished her off pretty quickly.

"We would have been fine if _someone_ hadn't handcuffed us together…" Percy snapped, and Chiron shrugged.

"Looking back, it probably wasn't the best way to handle things", the centaur admitted. "But I was pretty sure the whole camp was going to commit mutiny if they had to hear another minute of you arguing with Annabeth over her designs for Olympus."

"She was going to make a statue of my father as a _mermaid_!" Percy cried.

"B'cause he looks so much better as a fish", Annabeth mumbled, coming to. Percy let out a huff of relief and indignation.

"I swear to gods, Wise Girl, you'll be the death of me."

"Mmm", she groaned, turning whiter, and he immediately felt his annoyance give way to worry and guilt.

"Hey, take it easy", he soothed. "We'll have tomorrow to spar over it."

"And the next day", Annabeth snapped with her eyes closed, and he drew his hand down the side of her face, smiling.

"As long as you want", he said softly, kissing her cheek and then sitting back to let her rest.

Because they would, he knew.

Have forever.


	5. School and Demigods Don't Mix

"Hey, Smarty Pants."

"Nose in your books again?"

"Watcha reading, freak?"

Annabeth hated this time of the year. Sure, her classes were great, but the students…

"Sorry, freak", said one of her tormentors, knocking into her and sending her books flying everywhere. Her hand itched towards her knife. She wondered what her classmates would see if she pulled it on them. It was an interesting idea to consider-but she was already on probation because of that _stupid_ cow.

Never piss off the queen of the gods.

It wasn't as though she couldn't have tried harder to fit in. But having mortal friends ended badly nine times out of ten. Such as the time Nemesis had gotten pissed at her mother and…well, the whole experience had ended with all of Annabeth's friends having their memories erased.

And then having them turn into the very people who tormented her.

It was too dangerous for her to have friends here.

"Need a hand?" came a deep, familiar voice, and she glanced up into green eyes, startled. He offered her fallen books to her.

"Seaweed Brain? You weren't supposed to be here until later!" she snapped, embarrassed that he had witnessed her humiliation. Of course, this sort of thing wasn't unusual for demigods. They were just too different to fit in.

But she _hated_ people seeing her when she seemed weak.

"Want me to leave?" Percy offered teasingly, though there was hurt in his expression. She felt a flash of remorse.

"No, of course not", she sighed, taking the books from him. She refused to meet his eyes. "Thanks for the books. I still have another class before we can leave, but-"

"Hey", Percy interrupted, gently taking her chin and pulling it up. "Annabeth. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. We all go through it. Don't you recall saving me during a particularly…chaotic game of dodge ball?"

"That was different. They were monsters-"

"And those girls were witches."

"Those _girls_ used to be my friends", she snapped back, miserable. "Why can't we ever just be _normal_?"

"If we were normal, we never would have met", Percy pointed out smilingly, but Annabeth just shrugged. She heard Percy sigh.

"You should probably go to your last class. I'll be out on the swings if you need anything. Bye", he said in a flat tone, and walked away before she could say anything.

Or apologize.

She cursed in ancient Greek as she walked back to her classroom. Of course she would alienate the only person on this _stupid_ campus who gave a damn about her. She entered the biology classroom, aware of the snickers of the students in the class. She wondered what they had done this time.

She sat down at her seat as the teacher walked in.

"Annabeth Chase, please report to Mr. Leary's office", the teacher said before moving on to the roll call. Annabeth frowned. She honestly had no idea what she had done to be sent to the principal's office.

"Ms. Chase", the principal said stiffly as she sat down. He wasted no time with banalities. "There has been a vandalism of the girls' bathroom, and whoever has done it is to be suspended immediately."

"Okay, and…?" Annabeth asked, although she had a sinking feeling that she knew where this discussion was headed.

"And, we have had more than a few of your fellow classmates leaving tips that we need only to look to you to find the vandal." Annabeth silently seethed. What had she _ever_ done to them that merited this?

"I have no idea why, except for the fact that they dislike me", Annabeth replied with complete honesty. "If you have cameras set up anywhere, you could prove that it wasn't me." The principal frowned.

"Of course we'll review the tapes carefully, Ms. Chase, and we cannot legally take action without evidence. But seeing as you're already on probation, I'd be extremely careful, if I were you." Annabeth nodded, struggling to keep her face straight. She was at the complete end of her rope. What _more_ could go wrong today?

"You are excused, Ms. Chase. And, seeing as it is last period and you've already missed a good portion of class, you can go home if you'd like."

"Thanks, Mr. Leary", she said softly, and proceeded to walk directly out of the building and into the woods as fast as she could. The woods were too secluded to be safe for a demigod, or even for a mortal, but she didn't care. She had to be _alone_.

"Annabeth?" came Percy's hesitant voice, and she stiffened.

"I swear to gods, Percy, if you've come here to yell at me, then save it. You can't _possibly_ make me feel any worse right now." He frowned, coming over and draping his arm over her shoulders.

"Why would I yell?"

"Because of how I acted before", she said, confused. Wasn't he angry? Percy smiled, and then sighed.

"It didn't make me feel good, Annabeth, but I understood why. Trust me, I _hated_ it whenever someone who cared about me saw what the other kids did." Annabeth felt tears spring to her eyes and rapidly blinked them away. Stupid emotions. Stupid, unreasonable, not logical, _annoying_ emotions.

"I'm sorry", she whispered, and his arm tightened.

"An apology, Wise Girl?" he asked teasingly, though she saw the worry in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm already on probation, and my classmates decided it'd be a laugh to blame me for some vandalism. Nothing I can't handle." Percy's eyes flashed.

"I swear to gods, I'll-"

"Do nothing", Annabeth interrupted. "I can fight my own battles. Besides, if I can handle holding up the freaking _sky_ for days, I can handle a few pesky mortals." Percy smiled.

"That's my girl." They stayed like that for a few minutes.

"You know, one day, we won't have to worry about any of this. We can just be together, and nobody else will matter", he said, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Just the two of them.

She liked how that sounded.


	6. Goddesses Don't Respect Privacy

He really hated it when the gods paid unexpected visits.

Especially when he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Visiting at noon wouldn't have sufficed?" he asked irritably, glancing at the clock. 2 a.m.

"I suppose I could have", Athena replied serenely. "But you mortals and your strange sleep schedule will never make sense to me."

"I'm guessing you have a reason to be here?" he snapped, knowing it was unwise to talk sharply to a goddess.

Particularly one whose specialty was war strategies.

And one who happened to be the mother of his girlfriend.

But he _liked_ his sleep.

"Trust me, I wouldn't visit this vile cabin unless I had a reason", Athena said, wrinkling her nose as she glanced around Poseidon's cabin.

"Okay, and the reason is…?" Percy prompted impatiently, wincing at the stormy glare she sent his way. He was on the receiving end of that same stare nearly every day with Annabeth, but the goddess's glare seemed more….dangerous.

As if she'd love to see him dead. Which, of course, she would.

"You've become somewhat of a pet of Aphrodite. I swear, I haven't seen her this excited since Helen and Paris-"

"What does that have to do with right now?" he interrupted, and flinched at the daggers in her glare. Oops. She probably hated being interrupted as much as Annabeth.

"Especially by annoying little demigods like you", she said coldly, and Percy couldn't help grimacing at her.

"I really _hate_ it when you gods pick through my brains", he complained.

"Well, then, you shouldn't have too much of a problem. There's not all that much to pick through", Athena replied. "What does my daughter call you again? Seaweed for brains?"

"Seaweed Brain", Percy mumbled. Athena made the nickname sound a lot less flattering than Annabeth did.

"Right. Quite appropriate", Athena commented.

"Is there a _reason_ you felt the need to insult me right now?" Percy asked, losing his patience.

"You really are quite rude. Hasn't anybody ever told you that patience is a virtue?" the goddess asked coldly, and he shrugged.

"Once or twice."

"Anyway, back to my reason for being here. You and Annabeth have become Aphrodite's new favorite soap opera, and it is quite sickening for the rest of us."

"And that's _my_ fault?" Percy exclaimed, ignoring the goddess's frown. This was getting ridiculous.

"I honestly don't know what my daughter sees in you, but unfortunately, she seems to love you", Athena sighed, and Percy smiled a little.

"I know that I'm lucky to have her."

"Anyway, I still think remaining chaste is the best way to avoid drama. But since you two don't seem to be splitting, I'm here to call a truce." Percy stared at her, shocked, and completely speechless.

"Hmm. I find that I prefer you when you're not talking", Athena remarked, and that jarred Percy out of his shock.

"Why…why would you do that?" he stammered. "Why not continually make my life miserable?"

"Because, you sponge-brained, annoying little twit, I'm giving you my permission to ask for my daughter's hand, which means that I'll have to put up with your….idiosyncrasies." Percy felt his mouth fall open.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who said anything about _marriage_?" he cried, and Athena rolled her eyes.

"You two have been dating for years now, have you not?"

"Yes, but-"

"And you love her, correct?"

"Yes, but-"

"And you don't plan on leaving her, right?"

"No, but-"

"I swear, I have to do all the work for you incompetent demigods. If you're not planning on leaving, then you'll have to propose at some point, correct?" The goddess's gray eyes flashed with annoyance.

"Well…I guess…but…"

"Good, then it's settled." And with that, the goddess of wisdom flashed out of his room, leaving him to deal with a storm of thoughts and questions.

He really _hated_ it when the gods turned his life upside down like this.

He'd never get back to sleep now.


	7. Demigods Smell Bad

A/N Sorry guys, I know I keep updating completely out of order, but hopefully it's all understandable anyway. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: A little late for this, perhaps, but I do not own anything that I write about

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Call him a coward, but he'd rather face three hundred angry skeleton-creatures than an angry Annabeth. Which is why he hated it when they fought-not their fun bantering, but their real disagreements which usually ended with a lot of Greek cursing and sometimes a weapon drawn. And boy, was she pissed off this time. It had started, naturally, with a centaur and an angry Cyclopes.

"Percy, Annabeth, can I have a minute?" Chiron asked, trotting down to where they were picnicking by the lake.

"Sure, Chiron", Annabeth said, smiling, looking peaceful for the first time since Aphrodite had gotten pissed at Ares and warriors everywhere had inexplicably started to fall in love with animals and inanimate objects. Basically, it was a hell of a lot of cleanup work to do, and some tough manipulation of the Mist.

"Well, you know Sapphyre, the satyr that's been recruiting all of the new campers?"

"Sure", Percy nodded, remembering the girl. She was nice enough, though her tendency to eat through metal got on everyone's nerves. Really, though, that had been a perfectly good car….

"Well, she's recently gone missing", Chiron said, and Annabeth sat up straighter, instantly on alert.

"When, where, by whom, and why?" she demanded, and Chiron smiled.

"By a Cyclopes that seems to have taken a fancy to her", he said. "Nothing too worrisome-it's a simple in-and-out rescue mission.

"No mission is ever simple", grumbled Percy.

"We haven't been on any quest in over a year", Annabeth said, her eyes sparkling, and Percy's heart sank.

"Aren't we getting a bit old for that kind of thing?" he asked Chiron, and his girlfriend and the centaur looked at him, surprised.

"Not at all-you're not even in your twenties yet", the centaur said. "Besides…I thought you two would be getting a bit sick of the camp by now."

"Yes, well, about that…" he began, biting his lip. Now was _so_ not the right time to bring this up, but we had to give an explanation for his hesitance or it would only make Annabeth madder. "A few weeks ago Poseidon paid a surprise visit to my cabin."

"Really?" Chiron asked, drawing his eyebrows together. "That's…unusual behavior for a god."

"Your dad visited you? And you didn't tell me?" Annabeth asked, shock in her expression. There was also the hint of anger he'd expected, and…hurt. Crap.

"Yes, well, it's because I needed to find a way to tell you his offer", Percy explained as best he could. He doubted it would lessen her anger significantly.

"What offer?" Annabeth asked, crossing her arms. Yep, definitely still pissed.

"He offered us a way to mask the scent of our demigod blood. It's not a gift the gods have ever offered before, but…it would mean freedom."

"He…you…what?" Annabeth stammered.

"If we can mask the scent, monsters won't bother us. We can live normal adult lives, Annabeth. Get our own house. Maybe even raise kids normally, instead of sending them to risk their lives every day on near-impossible quests." Annabeth stared at him, dumfounded.

"House…kids…not demigods…" she muttered weakly.

"Yes, ah, well, on that note, I think I'll leave you kids on your own" Chiron inserted, probably sensing the storm brewing. He trotted off. Coward.

"II know it's not something we've discussed before-and quite honestly, I hadn't thought on it too much either, but after Athena and then Poseidon's offer…" Oops. Annabeth's eyes flashed lightning at him.

"Athena? What about my mother?"

"Well, ah, she felt it necessary to pay a visit to me too and-"

"My mother was here and didn't talk to me?" Annabeth asked, betrayal flashing in her eyes. "And you didn't tell me? Since when do we keep things from each other, Seaweed Brain?" A bolt of guilt ran through him.

"Well, it's because, well, she proposed a truce because…well, she expects us to get married. And I didn't quite know how to bring that up." Annabeth's eyes shuttered, and he knew he had royally screwed this all up. Gods, but he sucked at relationship dynamics.

"Marriage? Kids? Not being a demigod anymore? How do you knowI _want_ any of those things? What makes you think I'm ready to give up the thrill of quests and fighting? This has been my life since I was seven, Percy." He winced. She never _ever_ called him by his real name unless she was beyond angry.

"I guess, I don't know, I was too surprised by everything and then thinking it over…"

"And you didn't find it necessary to include _me_ while you made all of these decisions?"

"It's not like that!" he protested. "I didn't want to come to you with all of this without having some opinions on the matter."

"Of course you didn't", she fired back. "Because it would be _so_ unfair for us to both be on the same page when making life-changing decisions like this. Well, here's one for you, Seaweed Brain. _If_ I ever marry, it sure as hell won't be to somebody who can't bother sharing things with me or who makes decisions without me. Go to Hades with your stupid offer." And with that, she stalked off.

Ouch.

He knew she was just pissed, but that didn't take away the sting of her words. Had he really gone about it that badly? He honestly had no clue. Maybe girls liked talking about this kind of thing, or maybe it hadn't been very romantic.

He'd never understand girls. But he did know Annabeth. And right now she was either at Thalia's tree or throwing knives around at poor dummies. Tree was closer.

He saw a figure curled in a ball under the tree, and his gut twisted. He hadn't wanted to upset her. He approached cautiously.

She always carried a weapon or two on her.

"I'm sorry", she said dully without turning around. "I didn't mean a lot of what I said." Percy sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry too", he replied. "I guess I didn't handle that in the best way. But I honestly didn't know what the best way _was_." Annabeth sighed.

"You know, it wasn't even the not telling me that got to me the most", she admitted.

"Then what?" he asked, confused.

"It was how…I don't know. Like you had a future mapped out for us. Like you knew what you wanted and what was in store for us. And…_I'm_ usually the one with the plan. And when it comes to you, I just never know. I didn't know you saw a future like that in store for us. I didn't know what you wanted, or if you even wanted to stay together that long, or…I don't know. And it scared me, and then to hear you mention it so casually jarred me, I guess." Percy stared at her, surprised.

"You didn't think I'd want to stay with you?" She shrugged, embarrassed.

"Forget I said anything, Seaweed Brain." Percy smiled.

"Forget that my genius girlfriend actually thought something that stupid?" he smirked. "Fat chance." Annabeth glared at him.

"Mention it again and I'll slit your throat." He shrugged, palms up in surrender, and then turned serious.

"So…can you? See any of that stuff for us in the future?" he asked, and she smiled slightly.

"I see a future with you in it, Seaweed Brain. And as for the details…well, let's take it one step at a time."

He could manage that.


	8. Don't Let Campers Ride Flying Shoes

Today was Tour Day for the new campers, and Annabeth was going slightly crazy since she had been put in charge of making everything run smoothly.

Percy had been trying to keep her rational all morning, but she was all, _the pavilion hasn't had its roof scrubbed _and _I need to make sure the centaurs don't burn down another cabin_. When he had suggested that she cool down, she had thrown a knife at him. Sure, he was invincible and all.

But he wondered if she would have thrown it if he weren't.

He wasn't so sure the answer to that was _no_.

After that, he had avoided her.

Until he saw her holding a sword to Travis Stoll's throat. He figured it was probably his duty as head camper to step in and make sure she didn't murder anyone while the new campers cowered in the corner.

"I _told_ you not to bring out those flying sneakers!"

"She wanted to try them! I figured-"

"Oh, _YOU FIGURED_. Well, _isn't that just lovely!_ Because you _just figured_ the new camper ended up with a broken arm, and now the Ares cabin has to be repaired!"

"The Apollo campers are taking care of it and-"

"And _that makes it better?_" Annabeth shrieked, turning purple.

"Hey, guys, maybe we should take this somewhere else", Percy said, nervously stepping in front of Annabeth, hoping she wouldn't skewer him…invincibility or not, an angry daughter of Athena was intimidating.

Annabeth turned her stormy eyes on him, and then to the new campers.

"Get back to your cabins!" she barked, and they scattered. Travis began inching away.

"And _you_", she shouted at Travis. "_You_ are on kitchen duty for three months!"

"_Annabeth!_" Travis protested. "It was an _accident-_" Annabeth made a move, as if to stab around Percy, and Travis jerked back further.

"Jeez, okay, bye!" As he scattered, she returned her glare to him.

"And _you_, kelp-for-brains, what makes you think you can just interfere like that?"

"Um…the fact that you were about to murder a son of Hermes, which would probably cause Athena and Hermes to go to war, and then the other gods might get involved just for the fun of it, and I didn't think that I should let you cause a new world war over a pair of flying shoes?" he offered, and her shoulders slumped.

"You're right. Thanks", she muttered. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Hey", he said, sliding his arm over her shoulders and smiling down at her. "Everything's going great, Wise Girl. Don't worry, okay? One hitch doesn't mean everything's ruined." She gave him a small smile.

"You really think everything's going great?"

"Well, nobody's died yet, no hellhounds have torn apart the camp, and the gods haven't tried any funny business, so it's _definitely_ a good day." Annabeth rested her head on his shoulders.

"When'd _you_ become the reasonable one, Seaweed Brain?"

"Don't count on it being a continuous thing", he warned, and she snuggled closer.

"It's okay. I'll be around to do the thinking for us."

"Forever?" Percy asked, smiling.

"Always", she said, and something in him went still as he cleared his throat.

"I was planning on asking this after today, when things had calmed down some", he said. "But-"

"Oh, gods, you're not going to ask me to marry you, right, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked with a horrified expression, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Not yet, Wise Girl. I was gonna ask if you wanted to move into a little house nearby I found. It'd be close enough to camp that we could visit whenever, but more private…" he trailed off, losing his courage. Annabeth stared at him, and then shrugged.

"Okay."

"Okay?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"Okay."


	9. Spiders And Girlfriends Don't Mix

**A/N** So up until now, I've sort of been just randomly adding little stories, but I'm actually trying to follow a chronological order now...I only plan on doing a few more after this. Let me know if you guys have any ideas for future chapters. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

"SEAWEED BRAIN!" she shouted, storming across the fields towards where he was instructing the young campers.

"What are you doing here, Wise Girl?" he asked, his smile fading when he saw her expression.

"Do you think that it's _okay_ to just go off every morning without even leaving a _note_ and-"

"Hang on", he said, and she paused, her impatience and annoyance levels rising. He turned to the young campers. "I'll just be a few, guys, so keep practicing how I told you."

She couldn't resist adding, "Just remember, you're taking orders from a guy who only defeated Kronos when a mortal girl threw a hairbrush at him." Then she walked away, feeling his eyes bore holes into her back.

"Was that _really _necessary, Annabeth?" he snapped, and she shrugged.

"It wouldn't have been if you'd just _told_ me you were leaving this morning-"

"Since when do I tell you everywhere I go?" he interrupted, frowning. "You've never minded before, and we've been living together for months now."

"Well, maybe that's a good reason _for _you to tell me these things!" she snapped, miserable.

"Why are you being like this?" Percy asked, looking frustrated. Then his expression turned horrified. "Oh, gods, you're not _pregnant_ or anything-"

"_No!"_ she shrieked, just as horrified. "Just because you have fish working your brain for you and that fact tends to annoy me doesn't mean…_gah_."

"Is the idea _that_ horrible?" Percy asked, seemingly inexplicably irritating.

"_Yes_. I'd be fat and useless and then I'd have to take care of your snot-faced _brat-_"

"Gods, Annabeth, would it really be so terrible?" Percy asked, looking offended. "Having a kid and-"

"Since when are you even thinking about this?" she asked, feeling something snap inside of her. She shuddered. A _kid_. She'd sworn off children since-

"Since forever, I guess" Percy shrugged. "I mean, it's definitely not like I wanted one tomorrow, but eventually I sort of figured I'd want to raise one."

"And if I don't want any?" she shot at him, feeling a bolt of panic run through her.

"Then we don't have one", Percy said, studying her closely. "I can always teach the kids back here at camp." She refused to acknowledge the relief that swelled within her.

"Well…okay then", she said grumpily.

"Any particular reason you don't want children?" he asked, and she looked away, refusing to answer. "Look, Wise Girl, if you're just gonna spring this on me and I'm expected to take it okay just like that, you at least have to give me a _reason_." She sighed. It _was_ fair enough.

"When I was younger, still living with my dad and stepmother", she began. "Well, she didn't like me very much, and my father was always off doing his own thing, so she'd usually make me babysit. Which wouldn't have been so bad, because the boys were really sweet and all, you know? But that was the problem. I babysat and helped to raise them to the point where I really did get attached. And then in the end, when things started getting worse, she wouldn't let me _near _them, and they never even _asked_ for me. I was that unimportant. Children are ungrateful, selfish brats." Percy was silent for a moment.

"How do you know they never asked for you?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"She never denied them anything. They were her little angels. If they'd asked, I could have seen them."

"If they were really her angels, don't you think she would have valued their safety over what they wanted?" Percy asked gently, and her eyes widened.

"I never considered it", she said softly. "It doesn't matter. I've already raised two kids, I don't need to raise anymore. I'm _free_", she said vehemently, and Percy nodded.

"Okay", he said, and her head snapped up.

"Okay?" She didn't understand the sinking feeling inside of her.

"I won't stop trying to convince you", Percy qualified with a playful grin. "But I understand." Something inside of her relaxed.

"Fine then", she said, spinning on her heel to go.

"Wait, Annabeth!" Percy called, and she half-turned. "Was the reason you came here _really_ because I didn't tell you where I was going?" he asked, and she felt herself turn red.

"Not exactly", she muttered, and his eyebrows rose.

"Thenwhat?" he asked, and she sighed.

"There was a _spider_ on the _ceiling_ and you weren't there to kill it", she snapped, and Percy's eyes brightened with laughter.

"Laugh and I'll kill you, bring you back from the Underworld, and then kill you again for good measure."


	10. Attempted Murder And Marriage Proposals

**A/N **So this is nearing the end…I'm actually sad! I love writing this story, and I hope you guys have enjoyed it too. All reviews are appreciated!

* * *

Sitting in the woods near her house, her head in his lap as he stroked her hair gently, she couldn't remember ever feeling more at peace.

"Do you ever mind it? Being on quests, chasing fiery monsters, that kind of thing?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"Sometimes, but then, staying here and not getting killed is appealing in its own way."

"Hey, what's life without attempted murder every now and again?"

He smiled down at her. "I like this more than I ever loved running for my life."

She felt happiness spread through her. On days like these, days when they stay away from camp and just take a break, she feels almost…normal.

"It's so peaceful", she says. And then, "I don't like it." Percy laughed, and she grinned up at him.

"Spar?"

"You're on, Kelp Brain."

"I can take you any day, Wise One."

"Right", she snorted. She grabbed her knife from her boot, and he uncapped his sword.

"Wait", she said, letting a serious expression dart across her face. She dropped the knife and clutched her stomach as she gasped for air, and Percy immediately threw Riptide to the side and ran over to her.

"Annabeth? Annabeth! What's happening? Do you need-"

But that was as far as he got before she quick as a snake grabbed up her knife and held it to his throat.

"Rule one of fighting!", she said, grinning wickedly, and he sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, Wise Girl. Now, do you want to fight fair, or do you want to win?" Annabeth pretended to consider it, then lowered her knife.

"Let's fight, Seaweed Brain."

Sword clashed against knife as they dodged, jumped, stabbed, and parried attacks. She lost herself in the method, in the maneuvers and strategies, until Percy found himself unarmed and with a knife to his neck.

"Any last words, Seaweed Brain?"

"Actually, yes", Percy said, and she lowered her knife, surprised. He dropped to one knee, and she clapped a hand to her mouth. "I mean, as long as I'm going to die, I might as well", he added, light dancing across his eyes, and she glared.

"I swear to gods, Percy Jackson, if you don't ask soon, I'll use the knife to-"

"I've loved you since the first time we went on a quest together", he interrupted, smiling. "Every time you smile at me, nothing else matters. I trust you with my life. You're the bravest, smartest, most beautiful and exceedingly stubborn girl I know, and I would be an idiot to not take every measure to make you mine, just as I'm yours. Will you?"

"Yes, gods, yes, Percy", she cried, feeling happy tears spill down her face as she smiled. "I love you."

"Good, because I wouldn't have wanted this to go to waste." He pulled out a small ring. It is fashioned out of celestial bronze with a small diamond in the center. It is simple, unassuming, and absolutely _Annabeth_. It won't even get in the way during a fight.

Most amazing of all, however, were the little patterns carved into the bronze.

There was one of them holding a lightning bolt.

There was one with a golden fleece and a dragon.

There was one of her holding up the sky, and another of them together in the labyrinth. There was one of them facing Kronos together, and one of a piece of birthday cake.

There were so many stories on this one tiny ring, and each one touched her.

"I love you, Percy", she said softly, and he smiled.

"I mean, Tyson helped with the carving, but-"

"Gods, will you just shut up already?" she asked, kissing him hard, and he grinned.

"You really will never make my life easier, will you, Wise Girl?"

"Gods, I hope not", she smiled, and she felt the gods smiling down at them in that moment.

Five of them, at least.

Probably not Hera.

But there were no cow poops, so that was a start.

She felt her boyfriend-no, fiancée, tighten his arms around her, and she smiled.

She wouldn't have traded this moment for a million golden drachmas.


	11. The Wedding, Part 1

**A/N **Here's the scene some of you have messaged me about :) It's the first time I've written a wedding scene...forgive me if it's not up to par. Part 2 is coming up next. Enjoy!

* * *

The wedding took place at Camp Half-Blood.

Because, really, what place could be more perfect?

Chiron wanted to have the Apollo cabin shoot sparkling arrows for special affect.

Percy put his foot down.

The Aphrodite cabin wanted to throw a bachelor party for Percy.

Annabeth put _her_ foot down.

She said she wasn't jealous, but Percy suspected that she was suspicious of the cabin ever since the perfume bottle sword incident. Percy wasn't keen on waking up skewered, though.

So he kept _that_ idea to himself.

"Is everyone here? Get your demigod butts in your seats!"

Maybe putting Rachel in charge hadn't been the best idea after all.

"Hey, Kelp Head", came a familiar voice. Thalia slugged his shoulder as she came to stand beside him…harder than was really necessary.

"Ow!" he protested, and she rolled her eyes.

"Gods, I'd forgotten how _soft_ you are."

"I am _not_-"

"Anyway", she interrupted, and he scowled at her. If she'd done that to Annabeth she'd have been fed to Peleus. "I just came to tell you good luck, and don't screw it up!"

And on that happy note, she walked away.

She was always the sentimental one.

"Have you seen Rachel?" Nico shouted, running up to him. "Because apparently she took a weapon from the Big House and is using it to threaten-" They both turned when they heard a terrified shout coming from near the cabins.

"Got it", Nico said, rushing in that direction, before stopping and spinning around. "Oh, and Percy."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Congrats. You and Annabeth are great together."

"Thanks, kid", Percy said, smiling. Nico scowled at being called a _kid_, but quickly forgot when more shouts came from the cabin area.

Percy couldn't help musing at how far they'd come. He still remembered the days when he thought Nico would never forgive him for Bianca's death. Now they were nearly brothers. He stood alone and enjoyed the silence.

The silence didn't last long.

"PERCY!", came a booming voice, and he braced himself just before Tyson barreled into him.

"Hey, bro", he managed to wheeze.

"Happy wedding!" Tyson cried, bouncing. "The rainbow ponies and I will watch from over there!" He pointed to the lakeside, where everyone including, yes, the _hippocami_, was gathered.

"Thanks, Tyson", Percy said, smiling. As Tyson lumbered off, he heard the familiar clip-clop of hooves.

"It's kind of incredible how everything's turned out, huh?" he asked without turning around.

"I still remember our first quest like it was yesterday", his best man replied.

"Remember the Lotus Hotel?"

"Don't forget about Medusa."

"Man, you _rocked_ those flying shoes."

They stood silently for a minute, overwhelmed by nostalgia and happiness.

"You know, just because I'm getting married doesn't mean you're not still my best friend", he said quietly, and turned to face Grover.

"You may be a powerful son of Poseidon, but I'll _always_ think of myself as your protector. Just give me a yell through the empathy link if you need anything."

"Even though you're a powerful nature dude now with lots of girls?" Percy teased, and Grover grinned.

"Well, I know the ladies can't resist, but there's only one girl for me. Speaking of, Juniper's gonna be pissed if I don't get my "furry butt" over to our seats in a minute." Then his closest friend turned serious. "No matter what, Perce. I'll answer if you need anything."

Percy pulled Grover into a (very manly!) hug. Those were _not_ tears in his eyes. He's just a bit allergic to…oxygen.

"You know, this makes me think of the time I saw _you_ in a wedding dre-"

"You swore you'd never speak of it!" Grover yelped, and began to trot away. Percy smiled. Nothing like a goat in a dress to lighten the mood.

"Hey, man, don't eat the flowers! Annabeth'll kill you, and then me for letting you!" Percy called, and Grover bleated indignantly.

"I'm a satyr, not a pig!" Percy smiled and saluted his best friend, who returned the gesture and turned.

And then he was alone again.

Until he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"It's time", his mother said softly, and he smiled down at her. She had sacrificed so much for him.

Together they had begun his journey as a demigod.

Together they walked to the altar to begin a new journey.

One with Annabeth.

He smiled.


	12. The Wedding, Part 2

Everything was in order.

Athena and Poseidon were seated on opposite ends of the lake, with Aphrodite as the buffer. Luckily, the goddess was as romantic as she was unpredictable, so Annabeth was 99% sure she wouldn't let any of the gods cause problems.

Well…94% sure. Almost.

The flowers Juniper had weaved through her hair and her owl earrings were the only adornments she sported. Her hair hung loose and slightly curly, and her dress was simple and strapless (unlike the one she'd fought Rachel and Aphrodite on-some ridiculous, jeweled, puffy thing that cost more than her car).

She was barefoot-the grassy area was free of twigs and stones. And she was _not_ wearing heels. Those death traps were literally death traps if a demon caught up to them.

She was ready.

"You'll do awesome", Rachel whispered, and then into the headset, "Cue the music _now _or I'll run you through with Clarisse's spear!" Annabeth felt bad for the camper on the other end of the headset. The war god's daughter and the Oracle were, surprisingly enough, good friends.

And a _terrifying_ duo.

You didn't piss one of them off if you valued your small intestine.

The music began playing three seconds later.

"Ready, honey?" her father asked, stepping up. Sure, they hadn't always gotten along well, but they had set aside their differences for this one day, and she was glad. He _had_ shot celestial gold bullets at a bunch of demons for her.

She gave him a smile that probably came across as a grimace.

"Let's do this." They reached the aisle, and Percy turned to her, a smile splitting his face.

Suddenly, everything else disappeared.

Suddenly, everything was okay.

The son of Poseidon looked at her, eyes shining, looking incredibly handsome in his suit, and she felt everything bad wash away, as if by the ocean. He had always had that effect on her.

She _loved_ him, and love wasn't rational or intelligent, but Annabeth wondered in that moment if maybe the Aphrodite girl's weren't on to something after all.

Because being smart had never made her feel this good.

She took a deep breath, smiled, and took the first step.

* * *

"You may kiss the bride."

"Gladly", Percy grinned. The glow on his face made her heart leap, and their lips touched once.

And again.

And another time.

And maybe just one more-

"Awww!" came a squeal, and they jumped apart in time to see Artemis punching Aphrodite on the arm.

She couldn't help laughing.

Aphrodite glared.

Athena winked at them both.

And then they were married.

* * *

She knew her efforts had been worth it when she saw the look on Percy's face as they brought out the wedding cake.

The _blue_ wedding cake.

Complete with a lightning bolt on top.

Zeus scowled until Aphrodite elbowed him. The god rearranged his expression into something resembling a grimace.

"Gods, Annabeth, I love you", Percy said, grabbing her and kissing her. She smiled.

"Wait until you _taste_ it, at least, Seaweed Brain."

* * *

They danced together. For two demigods adept at using lethal weapons, they were surprisingly clumsy,

She found that she didn't care.

"Percy?" He looked down at her, love shining from those green eyes she had fallen so deeply in love with. "I think…I mean, I've been thinking, and-and I'm not ready yet, but later, if you still wanted…I think I want to maybe have kids with you."

He stared at her, motionless, for a whole five seconds.

She began fidgeting.

"I mean-it was only an idea, but we don't have-"

He swept her into a passionate kiss.

Someone wolf-whistled.

She turned bright red.

They broke apart, breathing somewhat heavily.

"You're going to miss your flight if you don't leave soon", Chiron said, trotting up, his eyes sparkling with amusement and…something more.

Something soft and happy.

"I don't care where I am, as long as I'm with you", Percy murmured, and she felt warmth flood through her.

"I do. Gods, go already, before the rest of us get sick to our stomachs", Clarisse grumbled, but it lacked venom. She and Chris had been inseparable all night.

"I'll miss you too, Clarisse", Annabeth said, impulsively throwing her arms around the older girl. Clarisse stiffened for a minute, and then, to Annabeth's surprise, squeezed back.

"He gives you any trouble, I'll run him through with a sword, kid." Annabeth stifled a laugh. To Clarisse, that was practically an _I love you_.

"Thanks, Clarisse."

She linked her arm with Percy, leaning against her new husband.

The boy she'd fallen in love with so many years ago.

"Ready, Seaweed Brain?"

"I'll follow you anywhere, Wise Girl."

* * *

Camp resumed as normal for the rest of the day. Pegasi flew everywhere, stealing leftover flower arrangements. Dionysus complained relentlessly. Campers avoided being killed on the fiery rock wall as they trained to start their own journeys.

But somewhere, tucked away on a small island, in each other's arms, two demigods finally ended theirs.

* * *

**A/N **Okay, super cheesy, I know. Sorry, I couldn't help it…I love these two too much to_ not_ give them the perfect day. Maybe the epilogue will make up for it, but knowing me, I doubt it'll be much better :)


	13. Epilogue

**A/N **So I wrote like crazy today…that's what happens when my teacher gives us a free period. Anyway…last chapter. I really hope you guys enjoyed this, and if you want to read a little more Percabeth, keep up with my newest story, 'Till Death Do Us Part.

Thank you guys so much, and enjoy!

**Epilogue**

"I swear to gods, Rachel, I'll run Riptide right through his Achilles heel this time", Annabeth grunted. "He'll _never_ do this to me again."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what you said last time", Rachel said, unconcerned. "At least this time you'll get your little girl."

"Well, get this little girl _out of me!_" she shrieked as another contraction seized her. "I was born from my mother's thoughts. Right out of her _brain!_ Why can't _she_ do that?"

"Shh!" Rachel yelped, her eyes widening. "This is a hospital for mortals, 'Beth! Be careful!" Annabeth grunted.

"The coward is too afraid to even step foot in here!"

"Actually, you kicked him out and threatened that you'd burn his innards with Greek fire is he set a toe in here", Rachel pointed out, and Annabeth huffed.

"Details."

She cried out as another, more intense contraction seized her.

"Get him in here _now_", she gritted out, and Rachel hurried to go fetch her useless husband.

"Hey, Wise Girl", Percy said, walking into the room, looking both concerned and terrified.

"I hate you." He smiled at her, walking over and taking her hand.

"I love you too, Annabeth. I'm here, I swear."

"Oh, quit with the sentimental garbage."

"Okay, suck it up and push", he suggested, and she sent a murderous glare his way.

"_You_ do it, then!" She shouted, and he laughed. "Didn't I tell you I'd burn you up if you stepped foot in here?"

"Okay, Wise Girl, you can set me on fire as soon as this is all over with, okay?"

She considered, looking at him closely.

"How soon after?"

"Umm…after I fireproof my lower back?" he suggested, and she scowled. "Okay, _before_ then?" She nodded, then gasped as another contraction hit her. He was immediately at her side, murmuring things, rubbing her back.

"It'll be over soon. I'll stay by your side as long as you want me. Always, Wise Girl."

Maybe she can _just_ make it.

"Mommy, mommy!" cried twin voices. She smiled as her boys rushed into the room, followed by a paler-than-usual Nico.

"He nearly fainted and he wasn't even in the room", Rachel stage-whispered to Percy. Nico glowered at her, but the adoration in his gaze undermined the intended effect.

"Hey, boys", Annabeth said hoarsely, and Percy's grip on her hand tightened. He hadn't wanted any visitor's yet, afraid that she was too weak, but she had insisted on seeing her songs.

"Is that the baby, Mama?" Luke asked, clamoring to see.

"I don't like it", Ethan announced, in his adorable five-year-old disdainful voice. "It's wrinkly." Annabeth laughed, her heart filling with love for her family, now complete.

"This is Silena, your baby sister", Percy said, holding the boys close to him. "If she's anything like her namesake, you'll like her soon, Eth." The boy shrugged, non-committal, but snuggled closer all the same.

"Will you tell us a story, Daddy?" Luke asked, settling in next to Annabeth. She smiled. How had she ever gotten so lucky?

"Okay, son", Percy answered, smiling. "How would you like to hear the story of two great Greek heroes?" Luke wrinkled his nose.

"Everyone knows those stories aren't real, Dad." Annabeth held in a laugh as she looked at her husband, who smiled in return.

"Well, those heroes can teach us something every now and then, Luke. Never say never, son, because anything's possible. Luke looked up at his parents trustingly.

"Okay, Daddy, tell us the story already", Ethan said impatiently, and Annabeth grinned. He reminded her of herself sometimes. She liked it.

"Well, once upon a time, in a land called Manhattan…"

Nico and Rachel slipped away silently, leaving the family to their moment.

The nurses peeked in every now and then, smiling and whispering among themselves about the lucky family over in that room.

A long ways away, a boy with blond hair and a scar running down his face smiled as he watched Annabeth's new family come together.

And for the first time in over a millennia, all of the gods smiled in harmony.


End file.
